Grand Slam Helps Manatees Roll Tampa

Clearwater Next Opponent

BREVARD COUNTY • VIERA, FLORIDA –A seven-run seventh inning capped off by a grand slam by Cody Hawn lifted the Brevard County Manatees to a 10-2 win over the Tampa Yankees on Friday night at Space Coast Stadium.

Manatees pitcher Taylor Jungmann improved to 7-4 on the season with a win Friday over Tampa. (Image courtesy Brevard County Manatees)

Taylor Jungmann (7-4, 3.35) started on the mound for the ‘Tees and went seven innings and allowed two runs – one earned – on five hits. The 2011 first round pick walked two and struck out two. Jungmann is 4-0 with a 2.18 ERA in his last six starts and has a 1.04 ERA in his first three starts of the second half of the FSL season.

The two runs that Jungmann allowed came in the top of the first. He allowed back-to-back singles to Mason Williams and Ramon Flores to start the game. Then Adnois Garcia reached base on a throwing error by third baseman Mike Walker; that allowed Williams to score and moved Flores and Garcia to third and second respectively.

After a walk to Slade Heathcott, Jungmann induced a double play ball off the bat of Kyle Roller which allowed Flores to score and make it 2-0 in favor of Tampa. Zach Wilson popped out to end the inning as the ‘Tees escaped any further damage. Jungmann allowed just three hits in his next six innings of work after a shaky first inning.

Brevard (9-6 second half, 38-45 overall) cut Tampa’s lead in half right away in the bottom of the first. Reggie Keen led off with a double, moved to third on a Nick Shaw ground out and then scored on a Jason Rogers ground out.

The game remained 2-1 in favor of the Yankees (8-7, 38-44) until the bottom of the sixth. Shaw led the inning off with a walk and then moved to third on a single by Rogers that put runners at the corners. Walker then ripped a double that hopped over the short fence in left to score Shaw and tied the game at 2-2.

The Manatees took the lead as Rogers scored on a wild pitch to make it a 3-2 game. Tampa retired the last three hitters of the inning in order to prevent any more damage.

The game blew wide open in the seventh and it started with a lead-off walk by Parker Berberet. Back-to-back singles by Franklin Romero Jr. and Reggie Keen loaded the bases and chased Tampa’s Aaron Dott from the game as Kramer Sneed took the hill.

He was greeted rudely by Shaw as he singled to right to plate Berberet and Romero Jr. as the ‘Tees extended their lead to 5-2. Rogers then stepped in and on the 3-1 pitch of his at-bat, Keen stole home to make it 6-2, as Rogers took ball four to put runners on first and second.

Walker then grounded out to move Shaw and Rogers up 90 feet each. After an intentional walk to Brock Kjeldgaard, Hector Gomez flew out to left for the second out of the inning.

Cody Hawn then stepped to the dish and had already struck out three times on the night. He would redeem himself in a big way and put the game out of reach as he drove a ball to right field that snuck over the fence for Brevard’s first grand slam of the season.

Keen and Shaw set the pace offensively for the Manatees at the top of the batting order. Keen was 2-for-5 with two runs scored, while Shaw was 3-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored.

The Manatees currently have a half-game lead over the Clearwater Threshers (9-7, 45-37) in the second half North division standings.